Suite dreams

Turns out that despite the financial tsunami, rack rates at the world's top hotel suites have just gone up, not down. According to the Wealth Bulletin, the news and analysis service for the global wealth management industry, the globe-topper is the Royal Penthouse Suite at Geneva's President Wilson Hotel.

Occupying the entire top floor and reached by a private elevator, the suite is so exclusive that bookings reportedly have to be made through the hotel's chairman. With four bedrooms overlooking Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc, six bathrooms and equipped with bulletproof windows and doors, the suite costs $65,000 (Rs 31.6 lakh) a night.

Last year's winner, the nine-room Ty Warner Penthouse at New York's Four Seasons Hotel -which has walls inlaid with mother-of-pearl, an indoor-outdoor Zen garden and a spa with a screen of living bamboo-came second this year.

It costs $35,000 (Rs 17 lakh) a night. New entry, The Presidential Suite at Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda in Sardinia (pictures 5 & 6), took third spot at $34,000 (Rs 16.5 lakh) per night (although in peak season it costs $45,000 (Rs 21.9 lakh). Sprawled across 2,500 sq ft, the suite has three bedrooms, a private gym, a wine cellar and a rooftop terrace with a saltwater swimming pool.

EAST FOR GRABS IN THE WEST

Gold, silver, bronze: the east offers them all. This September, 200 Indian and Southeast Asian bronzes, stone sculptures and Indian miniatures are up for grabs from Christie's New York. Almost all the works are from private collections and span the Buddhist and Hindu realms. A 10th or 11th century silver inlaid bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, from the Kashmir School in Western Tibet (estimate: $150,000-250,000 i.e. Rs 73 lakh-Rs 1.2 crore), is seen holding the stem of an eight-petalled lotus and wearing a dhoti incised with bands of floral scrolls. There's also a black granite figure of Nandi from the Chola period, circa 13th century (estimate: $100,000-150,000 i.e. Rs 48.6 lakh-Rs 73 lakh); a bronze bust of Buddha from Thailand, La Na Period, 14th/15th century (estimate: $25,000-35,000 i.e. Rs 12 lakh-Rs 17 lakh); and a sandstone stele of Vishnu from Nepal, 16th/17th (estimate: $10,000-15,000 i.e. Rs 4.9 lakh-Rs 7.3 lakh).

A fine selection of Himalayan bronzes include a large gilt figure of Atisha from Tibet, circa 16th century (estimate: $250,000-350,000 i.e. Rs 1.2 crore-Rs 1.7 crore), seated in dhyanasana and accompanied by an elaborate inscription on the reverse. Also available is a gilt bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Tibeto-Chinese, 15th century (estimate: $100,000-150,000 i.e. Rs 48.6 lakh-Rs 73 lakh).

The cover lot of the sale is a set of seven thangkas of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and his lineage from Tibet, circa 1815 (estimate: $250,000-350,000 i.e. Rs 1.2 crore-Rs 1.7 crore). These thangkas are believed to have been commissioned by the entourage of the Ninth Dalai Lama, Lungtok Gyatso, to celebrate his lineage.

They are painted in an innovative style combining motifs from both Central Tibet and the Kham painting of the Chamdo region. Details such as the knots in the trees, intertwining creepers of flowers, and burnished gold robes are depicted with great delicacy and attention to detail.

The sale also comprises a superb group of Indian miniatures including a painting of The Annunciation, Oudh, second half of the 18th century (estimate: $20,000-30,000 i.e. Rs 9.7 lakh-Rs 14.6 lakh). This shows a kneeling Virgin Mary dressed in white alongside the archangel Gabriel who has multicoloured wings.The painting is signed on the front.

Bringing up the rear are a rare Kalighat painting of Krishna, Kolkata, 19th century (estimate: $15,000-20,000 i.e. Rs 7.3 lakh-Rs 9.7 lakh); and three folios from the Bhagavata Purana, Nepal, circa 1775 (each $15,000-20,000 i.e. Rs 7.3 lakh-Rs 9.7 lakh), illustrating moments in the life of Krishna and Balaram.VODKA ROCKS

First came the 'Disco' bottle, all shimmering in silver. Last Christmas, Absolut launched the limited edition 'Masquerade', smouldering in red sequins.

Now, the vodka company has worked with designer Natalia Brilli to design its offering of this festive season: the Rock Edition. The bottle-wrapped in an exclusive package of leather and studs-pays tribute to the "vibrant, bold and irreverent world of rock".

To celebrate the bottle, Absolut held a launch event in Berlin showing guitars and other Natalia Brilli designs. The Rock Edition rolls out to retailers worldwide at the beginning of October.

GRILL AND BEAR IT

With winter round the corner, this is the time to start dreaming al fresco. Of grills in the garden and barbecues. Particularly barbecue machines like this one. After designing an espresso machine, a grand piano, a bathroom range and an infant incubator among other things, Porsche Design Studio has tied up with the US arm of Barbeques Galore to create the X-Series barbecue.

Fitted with four infrared ceramic burners, a rolltop hood and 'Crossray' technology that uses up to 50 per cent less gas and emits 80 per cent less smoke than the average barbeque, the easy to cleen but formidable-looking XSeries costs $5,999 (Rs 2.9 lakh) for the matte black finish and $8,499 (Rs 4 lakh) for the stainless steel. You ready with the spatula, mate?

STRONG FOUR-ARM

Sometimes four arms are better than two. As in the case of the AAS Gabriel/ DaVinci AudioLabs turntable (available in Ferrari Red and Aston Martin Onyx Black), which has four arm boards.

Each arm is for a different tonal quality, which means music lovers (who have invested $100,000 i.e.Rs 48.6 lakh in the turntable) can listen to pop, jazz, rock and classical without having to change the needle cartridge.

Or ever having to worry about anything ruining the quality of their music. That's because the Swiss-made system is equipped with silent magnetic bearings, its own motor and motor control unit and a highly stable bass.TRINIDAD INGENIOS EDICION LIMITADA 2007

The Trinidad Ingenios is extra special because it is the first-ever limited edition release from Trinidad. All the tobacco in these 2007 limited edition cigars-wrappers, binders and fillers -have been aged in bales for at least two years, unlike, in the previous years, when only the wrappers underwent an extra ageing process.

The size is that of a Lonsdale, or Cervantes as it is also known. The cigar will suit smokers who enjoy subtle Cuban smokes. The medium-body flavours are reminiscent of roasted nuts and toasted sesame seeds, unique and delicious.

Black-pepper notes build to full body by the end of the first half, but the underlying toasty flavours persist and, in fact, strengthen, if smoked slowly. Each puff finishes with lingering woods and a peppery nose.

This one's not for the discreet traveller. The Knight XV by Conquest Vehicles is bigger and bolder than the miniaturised Hummer H2 and is the new big daddy of handcrafted, armoured vehicles.

This V10, 6.8-litre, bio-fuel powered automobile is built on a Ford F-550 chassis and is equipped with 40-inch Baja ballistic run flat tyres and three exterior night vision cameras.

An under-vehicle detector that notifies the driver if any bomb, audio bug or tracking device has been attached, an oxygen survival kit and fish-eye security cameras can be added-at extra cost.

Prices run from $359,000 to $500,000 i.e.(Rs 1.7 crore-Rs 2.4 crore). But only 100 such vehicles are being built. So are you ready to be Knighted?

LEGEND OF A WINE

If you have been to the Louvre and stuck around long enough for the Japanese camera-flashes to subside, you may have noticed a painting by Rafaello of Saint George (San Giorgio) and the Dragon. Legend goes that the young Saint, during his travels through Libya, heard of a fiery dragon who demanded the daily sacrifice of a young maiden.

To protect the few remaining fair lasses, he rode forth to fight the dragon, a beast with limitless powers and poison. The dragon was finally killed when George struck it with his sword under its wings where the dragon had no scales. This act of gallantry is depicted in the painting by Rafaello. As well as on the label of the wine that's in focus here.

San Giorgio is an iconic wine from the house of Lungarotti, which has many wine feathers in its cap. This here is the first-of-its-kind super-Umbrian wine, made only in select vintages since 1977.

Made with an almost equal mix of Sangiovese, the local champ, with Cabernet Sauvignon, the international favourite red, with some Canaiolo thrown in for colour, structure and aroma, it showcases the best of this Eastern Italian wine region.

The wine is rich and concentrated, with grapes coming from a small dedicated 5Ha vineyard. Only the best barrels are used to age the wine and then it is held in the bottle for three years, without being filtered, in order to maximise flavours.

Effectively, the wine is released almost five years from the year of harvest. Even then, in case you open a bottle anything before a decade of ageing, I would suggest a big carafe and big wide glasses to breathe the wine. The taste is powerful and rich, and reminds me of dark berries growing in the wild, plenty of spice notes, structured and formed tannins, and a finish marked by aged Balsamic, spice and some mint (or is it aniseed, I often get confused). A wine made for steaks or, if we're thinking more locally, burra kabab and raan.

- Magandeep Singh

HAIR RAISING PRICE

The swine flu has Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, worried. Which is why he was in a bit of a fix when he realised he needed a hair cut. Usually, he just flies down his regular barber, Ken Modestou-who runs a shop at the Dorchester in London-to the sultanate, plies him with money and sends him back.

The barber, who charges 30 (Rs 2,397) for a trim back in London, has been cutting the sultan's hair for 16 years now and visits Brunei every three or four weeks. But this time, the Sultan didn't want his barber catching swine flu from one of his co-passengers in firstclass.

But then, happily a solution was found. And Modestou found himself winging his way to Brunei in a self-contained suite on a Singapore Airlines flight costing 11,000 (Rs 8.8 lakh). And they say money can't buy happiness!

SLAVONIC CHARMS

Karl Lagerfeld's has tapped into Coco Chanel's fascination with Russia for his Pre-Fall Collection. Resulting in eye-popping bags and jewellery that celebrate popular Russian symbols.